Blind fold hearing test

Let me carry this conversation that began between me and Viridian to the end of the line.

I shared my room in the hospital with a patient I really enjoyed talking to; that made for an easy stay, and we both had hip surgery. I told him I liked to putter around building things in my basement, an interest he shared.

That's when he began talking about his shop, which was something he worked as hard putting together as an audiophile would work putting an award winning rig together. As he went on describing his shop in minute detail, I could picture one you would see in "Popular Mechanics" that was so well organized that you could put your hands on whatever tool you needed with the lights out in the dark. I know what it takes to put that kind of shop together, and it's just another one of my dreams that I will never obtain.

After telling me about his magnificent shop in minute detail, he told me he was going to have leave it and move into an assisted living home; that brought tears to my eyes.

Not long ago, we had a conversation here about "audio holography". Some said it didn't matter, others said it was some kind of trick. I have it, and while it took many years to obtain, it's no trick; however, there is a trick to it, you have to have 20-20 hearing in order to hear it.

Recently I had problems I couldn't determine the cause of; my holography was not in focus. Since I couldn't find any fault in the rig, I went to an ear specialist. They told me the fault was in my left ear; it has some hearing loss. Now I clean it as best I can with hydrogen peroxide, and on some days I can still hear the holography. Such is life.

I don't recall him reviewing "high-end" tube amps, but that didn't matter because I wasn't buying them at that time, but the kind he was reviewing were mostly high quality SS "Mid-fi", and I agreed with him that those amps which measured about the same, sounded about the same.

It was only when he commented on the differences between high end and mid fi; such as when you replace capacitors with very expensive "Black Gates", plus substituted other components, he couldn't hear the difference after this was done with a mid-fi amp; he stated that in his own words.

As knowledgeable as Mr. Hirsch was about all things audio, his ability to discern the audible difference between high quality mid-fi and high end amps was not the best, which is something that's probably going to happen to all the "golden ears" if they live long enough.

Julian Hirsch and Hirsch Houck laboratories were synonymous; he spoke for the labs.

Although you had personal contact with Julian, we both had an affection for the man. Mine was from reading his reviews for so many years and considering every word gospel until I got into the "high-end"; that's because specifications don't mean as much, more is determined by one's ability to hear.

As we age, our hearing diminishes, that's a fact of life. While the price difference between high quality "mid-fi" and high end is huge, the audible benefits are only worthwhile if you have the ability to hear all the subtle differences. The same goes for tube gear with expensive NOS tubes.

In regard to "tubes" he states all the drawbacks, and skims over the reasons some of us have gone back to tubes; he states,

"I am less than enthusiastic about about them, principally because they appear to be inferior to comparable solid-state amplifiers in respect to cost per watt, heat generation, frequency response flatness, distortion, and perhaps ultimate reliability as well".

While that statement had much truth in it, the fact that tubes reproduce music better than solid state was left out.

In his reviews, he omitted the subjective part that was included at the end of a "Stereophile" review, relying solely on his technical measurements to speak for themselves.

Time, and time again he bypassed, or omitted anything that required a subjective listening or hearing call, and when he did, while he stated there may have been differences between high quality SS amps, he didn't hear the difference.

What I'm stating is my sum total of 20 plus years of reading his reviews on high quality SS audio amps; his omissions spoke volumes to me after I got into the "high-end" and heard all the things Mr. Julian Hirsch didn't hear.

             

Before continuing my discussion with Viridian, I'll answer the blindfold question. For a multitude of reasons it's irrelevant; one reason is that there would have to be a significant difference between the components, which would also be in price as well, in order to tell the difference in a short time blindfolded; why bother?

If you're going to make an intelligent purchase, which is the only reason to take the time for the test in the first place, too many factors must be known that can not be determined in a short time.

Than you for setting the record straight in regard to the person, I referred to the lab, but I still have my Stereo Reviews where he stated he could not tell the difference between high quality amps.

I held Julian Hirsch in high esteem and doted on every word he wrote, but it was revealed that his hearing was not the very best, as knowledgeable as he was. I only know what I read in "Stereo Review".

To have had Julian Hirsch as an instructor certainly adds validity to what you write, but with all due respect to you and Mr. Hirsch, his hearing was not the best. I read him for many years, and believed what I read. Much later I discovered he was in error on some of his amp reviews. Since I'm positive he would not lie, his reviews meant he stated what he heard.

Out of the many years I read him, those were the only errors I discovered, and since he told the gospel truth in regard to what he heard, the only conclusion one can come to is, "his hearing was not the best".

Before I got into the "high end" Hirsh Houck of Stereo Review was my Guru, and he couldn't tell the difference between high quality amps, so I assumed there was little or no difference, but later on I discovered his hearing wasn't the best, although his answers to questions was as honest as the day is long. Those who can hear well know there are many subtle differences.

What is left out of the equation here, is how well we hear, as well as how well we listen. The differences between high quality "mid-fi" and legitimate "high-end" amps are both large and small. The price difference is usually huge, and justified as well due to more expensive parts, but can you "hear" the difference. Since those differences, such as "sound stage holography", depend on how well you hear, are not worth it to everyone, and a good Yamaha, might be as good as an "ARC" amp.

Awhile back I had a small hearing deficiency in my left ear; that's worse than an equal deficiency in both ears because you can never get the sound stage right. Now that my hearing has come back somewhat, I realize how subtle that sound stage thing is, especially when the left channel of my hearing comes in.

Whether or not high end audio is worth the cost depends on how well we hear; if you can not hear it, it ain't worth it.

Maybe everyone should have the blindfold test before they buy.